Like other Asia-Pacific nations, Australia is hopeful that the regional interests of its treaty ally, the United States, and its most important trading partner, China, can be balanced to its own long-term advantage. Professor of Strategic Studies at Australian National University Hugh White has been a leading advocate for the view that Australia cannot hope to maintain a neutral distance between the U.S. and China; it will have to choose between them. His analysis, if correct, holds major implications not only for Australia, China, and the U.S., but for every Asia-Pacific nation.

In the wake of ongoing disputes over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands China has brushed aside calls from Japan to hold a leaders’ summit as “grandstanding,” while Japan’s finance minister is prompting Tokyo to make clear its intention to use the navy to defend the islands. What are China’s objectives and overall strategy in the East China Sea? To what extent will Chinese actions contribute to escalation and what are the prospects of conflict breaking out in the region?

The law that authorized U.S. forces to act against terrorists after 9/11 is once again up for debate. The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) is seen by many as no longer applicable to a conflict that has moved beyond those responsible for 9/11. The enemy and the nature of the conflict have changed: is it time for the U.S. to revise or repeal the AUMF? This National Conversation includes expert commentators who have worked in many of the organizations most closely involved with the issue – Congress, the U.S. military and the CIA.

The basic goals of the India-Japan relationship--one of Asia's strongest partnerships--are very similar to those of the United States in Asia. This event examines the various areas of cooperation between these three countries.

How can we protect our infrastructure, and make it more resilient against the many hazards that are part of the 21st Century? This National Conversation is part of a dialogue between government and the private sector, to help make policy more effective.

“In the post-Cold War period, the challenges of energy, environment, climate change, and water have become very much a part of our fundamental transatlantic relationship,” said CNA General Counsel Sherri Goodman, launching a new report on U.S.-EU security at the Wilson Center.